A new study proves parachutes are useless

[aFarewellToKings]

https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/parachute-study

(For those of you who don't read it, the point of the study is: read a study's content, not just the summary.)

Jumping from a plane with or without a parachute resulted in no difference in injury or death.















Average jump height in the study was 2 feet, average plane speed was 0 mph.

 

[rockyfatcat]

The airplane was both on the ground and stationary, as they thought it would be impossible to get people to agree to leap from a moving plane several thousand feet up without a parachute. The authors admit this was a "minor caveat" in the study's design.

 

[Spikey]

What ? No Darwin Award participants ?

 

[palmettomoon]

I can't believe at least one person with no parachute didn't get killed even if the height was only 2 ft.

 

[aFarewellToKings]

I like how they checked the study participants for death or injury 5 minutes and 6 months after he study. Never know about those long-term consequences.

 

[Smiley]

Meh, they work okay. Mine slowed me to about 65mph or so before I landed from 14,000’. It only took me 6-7 mo to learn to walk again.

 

[Mirvin 264]

 

[GFB]

Meh, they work okay. Mine slowed me to about 65mph or so before I landed from 14,000’. It only took me 6-7 mo to learn to walk again.

That sounds pretty terrible.

 

[GFB]

I read a statistic repeated several times and I looked into it. Turns out it's been proven to be intentionally misleading and flat out inaccurate. Yet I keep seeing people reference the statistic. It's too easy to get away with nonsense because odds are most people won't call you out on it if it supports a popular view.

 

[Smiley]

That sounds pretty terrible.

It was life changing, painful, and humbling, but no telling where I would be now if it had not happened. Skydiving is a lot of fun, but the price of a mistake is high.